In this series, we will look at established players — virtual locks to make this year’s Kansas City Chiefs squad — with the most riding on the 2026 season.
On April 27, 2023, with the NFL Draft being held at Kansas City’s Union Station, the Chiefs announced a selection that had the look of a generational feel-good story.
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Coming off of a victory months earlier in Super Bowl LVII, team chairman Clark Hunt took the stage to announce the final selection in the first round. Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah — a Lee’s Summit, Missouri, native who was actually in the hometown crowd that night — joined the Chiefs.
Three years later, unfortunately, the move has aged poorly.
Anudike-Uzomah was relegated to a rotational role over his first two seasons and delivered only three career sacks. He then missed his third season after a preseason hamstring injury a year ago.
The Chiefs officially declined Anudike-Uzomah’s fifth-year option this spring, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
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Still only 24, Anudike-Uzomah suddenly finds himself playing to stay in the league for a fifth season, while the Chiefs are hoping the local product delivers at least partial dividends on the investment. As the roster currently stands, the team appears to have no choice but to give Anudike-Uzomah significant defensive snaps.
Barring injury, veteran George Karlaftis will lead the team in edge-rush snaps. He will presumably be joined in the starting lineup by second-year pro Ashton Gillotte, who took at least half the defensive snaps in Kansas City’s final five games last season. The Chiefs added rookie R Mason Thomas in this year’s draft, but he will likely be limited to obvious pass rush snaps early in his career.
Several veteran edge rushers remain unsigned and may simply plan to sign after some of the hot summer training camp practices have passed. The Chiefs could very well plan to add a veteran defensive end, similar to adding Carlos Dunlap early in 2022’s camp.
Without such a move, Anudike-Uzomah by default appears set to blow past the 31% of defensive snaps he played in 2024.
Even if he doesn’t break out in his fourth season, Anudike-Uzomah will probably latch on somewhere in the NFL for 2027. The 2022 draft class can show us why.
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Of 2022’s first-round selections, 13 had their fifth-year option declined (or had been previously released from their rookie contract). Despite entering free agency earlier than expected, 11 of those players are currently signed to NFL rosters. This includes current Chiefs cornerback Kaiir Elam, the class’s 23rd overall selection to the Buffalo Bills.
Seven such first-rounders from 2021 — including Chiefs backup quarterback Justin Fields — are still hanging on. From the 2020 draft, 11 first-round selections who had their fifth-year options declined remain on team rosters.
One player from 2020 offers hope for Anudike-Uzomah, despite the woeful start to his career. Former LSU pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson — the 20th overall selection — underwhelmed in four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After totaling just five sacks on his rookie contract, Chaisson has gotten to the quarterback 12.5 times over his past two seasons split between the Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots.
The Washington Commanders rewarded the once-notorious draft bust this offseason with an $11.5 million contract for 2026. Similar to Anudike-Uzomah, Chaisson entered the league at a very young age and will play his seventh season at only 27 years old.
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Pass rushers generally get several opportunities to extend their careers because of the lack of talent at the position. Even so, most perceived draft busts never share the label, making Chaisson a rare exception. If Anudike-Uzomah will find a similar modest career turnaround, it would certainly be helpful if it came for his original team instead of at his next stop.
What happens in 2026 will determine if Anudike-Uzomah is offered a moderate amount of guaranteed salary for 2027 or has to prove himself on a veteran minimum agreement.
His performance in the early stages of the Chiefs’ training camp and preseason may also determine how aggressively the team searches for reinforcements at defensive end.
